My husband and I had the great fortune to have attended three Seahawks games this season. In September, we traveled to Pittsburgh where it was so hot I thought I would burst into flames. Early November had us in Washington, DC (the stadium is actually in Landover, Maryland) where I was so cold I didn’t think I would make it to the second quarter. And finally, in late November, we made our annual trip to Seattle for a game against the Minnesota Vikings*. I am more than happy to say that our record for the games we went to was 3-0, in a season where the Seahawks finished 14-3 and are going to the Super Bowl.
The evening before the game in Pittsburgh, we met up with a bunch of other 12s at a hotel sports bar. 12s are fans of the Seahawks, representing the “12th Man” on the field alongside the 11 players. The get together was held at the hotel where the Seahawks were staying and I exchanged a smile with DeMarcus Lawrence in the lobby and was able to wish Jaxon Smith-Njigba a good game when he came into the restaurant to briefly see family members who were in town for the game.
We also met Captain Seahawk, a retired airline pilot who attends every Seahawks game, both home and away. If you ever watch a Seahawks game, you will inevitably see him, as the cameras always find him.
As we left the festivities to head back to our own hotel, passing through the lobby, Mister Rain made a beeline for a man talking with someone. As I came up next to him, he whispered, “It’s Brian.” When the two men were finished speaking, my husband approached. “Hi. I spend every night with you.” The man smiled, extending his hand. It was Brian Nemhauser, aka “HawkBlogger.” Mister Rain listens to Brian’s podcast every night after I go up to bed an hour or so before he joins me. This trip was a success even before the Seahawks defeated the Steelers the following day.
At the Commanders game in DC, we were lucky enough to sit in the front row. I got to fist bump several players and friends of ours saw us on TV. I also had a close encounter with their mascot, Major Tuddy (click here).
Seattle is not where my husband and I live, but it is the home of our Seahawks. It really is, for us, like landing on another planet where everyone looks like you, as opposed to where you spend your life where that is not the case, at least when it comes to the NFL.
The pomp and circumstance at Luman Field before kickoff is unlike anything I have ever experienced. At this particular game, two Chinooks flew over the field as low as they dared. It was a moment I will not soon forget.
The noise in the stadium always exceeds its reputation. As I like to say: where else can a grown woman stand amongst 69,000 other people and scream as loud as she possibly can without anyone giving her a look or a second thought?
Although I am not able to see the action on the field, Mister Rain does play-by-play for me and the crowd’s reaction also tells me if something good or bad has happened. You may wonder why I wouldn’t prefer to watch a game at home, sitting close to my TV set, where the announcers provide the narration. The truth is, it is difficult to be there live and not be able to see what’s going on. Yet the energy inside an NFL stadium eclipses just about everything else. The lights, the sounds, the smells, and, yes, even the weather, combine to make the experience fully-immersive.
One of the best parts of attending a Seahawks game, though, even when at an opponent’s stadium, is meeting other 12s. There is community in a way that is unique to a team’s fans. It doesn’t matter where you are from,what you do for a living or if you, say, have a disability. All that counts is that you love the same team.
At the game against the Commanders, with our seats in the first row, we were given a packaged 12 Flag from a representative of the Seahawks to hang over the railing in front of us for photos and TV coverage. Inside was a note that read, in part:
You are proof that there truly are #12sEverywhere! Thanks for waving and flying this with us, wherever we may go.
12s are everywhere. I love it when we are there too.
* If you’re wondering if I was hot or cold for the game in Seattle, click here for Batteries Not Incuded.
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